


Ride On

by Pinkperson1



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Angst, Awkward Conversations, Awkwardness, Daddy Issues, Drabble Collection, Embarrassing Crying, Embarrassing moments, F/M, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, French Kissing Fail, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Humor, Insecurity, Introspection, Jealousy, Piggyback Ride, Rinoa in space, Romance, Teasing, Tickling, Ugly Haircut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 10,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29497299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkperson1/pseuds/Pinkperson1
Summary: Drabbles and One-shots with rotating POVs from the characters of FFVIII. Covers a range of themes such as ugly haircuts, awkward french kisses, and boytalk/girltalk.
Relationships: Irvine Kinneas/Selphie Tilmitt, Julia Heartilly/Laguna Loire, Laguna Loire/Raine Loire, Rinoa Heartilly/Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht/Quistis Trepe
Kudos: 9





	1. Chicken-wuss

Zell hopped from foot to foot, occasionally stopping to unleash a round of punches at his invisible enemy. His jabs were in quick succession, concentrated and precise. People often looked at him oddly when he shadow boxed in public areas. Or, like Squall, they would simply turn and leave due to discomfort. So, it was especially gratifying doing this in the privacy of his dorm room. Not that Zell really cared what people thought of him-- He always seemed to lose himself in his sparring, it was so freeing to do something he truly loved. But sometimes, it felt nice to be alone with his thoughts as he did it. Zell loved shadow boxing because it helped him to relieve his pent-up frustration and jangled nerves.

And also because he liked to imagine it was _him_ he was punching.

His lip curled as Seifer’s smirking face emerged in his mind. Blood boiling, Zell threw a particularly ruthless punch, one that he knew would have brutalized Seifer’s pretty face if he’d _really_ struck him. He only wished he could _feel_ it connect with his bully’s jaw. Maybe he’d hear the bone crack as Seifer staggered backward clutching his face, his pride irreparably wounded. Oh well. Zell could at least feel satisfaction in knowing that he was fully capable of wiping that cocky grin off his face if he really felt like it. And he did often feel like it, but their altercations never seemed to fully reach the boiling point where things got physical. It didn’t stop him from visualizing it in his head, though. Especially his favorite part—the end. Zell swung viciously and saw Seifer crumple in a bruised heap before him, stars dancing in a circle above his head. And Zell pronounced himself as the victor in his dorm room, with his arms raised above him in celebration. As though there was an invisible crowd cheering him on after knocking out his tormentor at long last.

“Who’s the chicken-wuss now?”


	2. Worry

Irvine was a ladies man, had a tendency to drift from girl to girl like it was nothing. Even though he was technically in a relationship --one he cherished---he still felt tempted to flirt with any cute girl who crossed his path. He just loved women.

And there weren’t many things that irked Irvine. He was known for being exceedingly chill, the most laid-back member of their group. Nothing could shatter his cool exterior. Not even an ultra hot woman. Which was why it was odd that he was suddenly finding himself out of sorts.

He loved Selphie to bits. She was the light of his life, someone so chipper that just the thought of her would coax a smile onto his face. Yet she had a tendency to ramble excitedly about a certain president. A little too much, for Irvine’s liking.

Selphie seemed to harbor a fascination with Laguna. At first, Irvine wasn’t bothered by it, found it harmless, even. It was just a schoolgirl crush, after all. But as time passed, and she seemed to find any excuse to bring up Laguna, he found himself growing more and more annoyed. He’d try to feign interest as she’d squeal about how wonderful Laguna’s movie was, what a nice guy he was, how _lucky_ Squall was to have him for a dad, but on the inside he was screaming at her to dial it down a notch. ‘Cause it was just _weird_.

And besides, what did Laguna have that he didn’t? Truthfully, the two of them shared a few things in common, though he hated to admit it. Both had long hair and a love for guns. And they also were targets of Selphie’s affections. He supposed Selphie had a type after all. But seriously, Laguna wasn’t _that_ cool, was he? Sure he was a president and he’d starred in a movie, but that didn’t make him better than Irvine. Honestly, if the two of them were locked in a room without their weapons, Irvine was sure he could take him on in a fight.

Laguna had crept his way into Irvine’s brain as well, with the latter occasionally drawing comparisons between the two of them. He felt a need to confirm to himself that he had nothing to worry about. Selphie wouldn’t leave him. How could she? They were meant for each other, after all.

Despite Irvine's attempts to reassure himself, a feeling of jealousy was gradually budding within him. A feeling that went against everything Irvine stood for. It made him feel self-conscious and a little insecure.

And he found that this frightened him.


	3. Alarm

Quistis frowned as she tried to concentrate on the book she was reading about the Sorceress War. She was feeling anxious about their upcoming battles and the inevitable showdown with Ultimecia. Feeling like she couldn’t relax in her room, she tried to find a book to distract herself with in the library. This turned out to be a losing battle as she couldn’t help but grow overly aware of her less than fortunate surroundings. Her eyes kept darting towards every single couple that walked in. Holding hands and leaning against one another, to make it as obvious as possible that they were together, it seemed. She couldn’t deny that it was starting to grate on her nerves, as it made her even more aware of her own status as a single woman.

It also unfortunately made her think about someone she used to mull over quite a bit.

Quistis wasn’t sure what it was that had drawn her towards Squall. Perhaps there was a part of her that simply enjoyed poking and prodding him, hoping it might elicit a reaction from someone so stiff and statue-like. She liked teasing him because it helped to melt the tension that he seemed so intent on creating between him and others. She always hoped that it might help him to let loose and gift her with a smile, but she never seemed to be lucky in that regard.

Not like Rinoa was, anyway.

Ah, Rinoa...the spunky girl who had swept Squall off his firmly planted feet. Quistis supposed that opposites really did attract after all. She had noticed over time that Squall was more prone to behaving kindly to others since Rinoa had joined their party. Not that she thought Squall was a mean person before, but he was very aloof and reclusive. She’d pitied him for it, hating seeing him sit by himself in the cafeteria as opposed to interacting with others his age. But now he was in the process of actually building meaningful relationships with people from his forgotten past. She supposed that was heartwarming and she did feel good for him. As long as he was--

“Yo, Quisty!”

Quistis broke out of her reverie, blinking at the figure standing in front of her. A librarian put a finger to her lips, hushing Zell who covered his mouth guiltily. He then walked towards Quistis, and sat across from her at her table.

“Whatcha readin’?”

Quistis sighed, putting down the book she'd been staring at blankly. She felt some relief now that she had someone who could drag her out of her contemplation. “Nothing too absorbing,” she mumbled. “Just reading up on the past. Back when Laguna took care of Adel and all that.”

“Gettin’ ready to kick Seifer’s ass, huh?” Zell said, crossing his arms. “He won’t even know what hit him when we get to him. Man, I can’t wait to see him grovel. Wah wah I’m a sorceress’s knight! Big freakin’ baby...”

Quistis nodded absently as she watched another couple pass by out of the corner of her eye. She felt her eye twitch in annoyance. It also made her remember something.

“Zell?”

“Yeah?”

“How are things going between you and the pigtail girl?” she asked, trying to sound casual. Zell _had_ been spending a lot of time in the library since they'd returned to Garden, she'd noticed.

Zell looked taken aback by the subject change. “Ahh, it’s goin’ alright I guess. We met up at Balamb hotel and got to know each other a bit better. She’s really sweet, honestly. We’re not official, though, if that’s what you’re wonderin’. Why? What’s up?”

Quistis’s heart fell. She’d been hoping to share her woes with another hopelessly single person. It seemed that even Zell was luckier in the love department than she was. “Nothing. Just curious.”

There was a moment of silence between the two of them as Quistis debated leaving to visit the training center and kill some damn grats. Or even a T-Rexaur. Just as she was about to check her junctions, Zell spoke.

“Just _please_ , oh please, tell me you’re not into Seifer.”

Quistis’s eyes widened as she nearly choked in shock. “What are you—how--why--what the _hell_ \--”

“ _Relax_ , Quisty. Don’t look at me like that.,” Zell said, laughing a little as he held his hands up defensively. “I was just kidding.”

Quistis shot Zell her most withering glare, one that felt vaguely like her Laser Eye. She wasn’t exactly Seifer’s biggest fan--especially after his hurtful comments about her worth as an instructor. He’d always been rude to her and she could hardly stomach even talking about him let alone the idea of…

An image of her holding a bare-chested Seifer in her arms emerged in her mind, making her shudder. It was a horrifying picture, one that could have been plucked out of her most chilling nightmare.

And why did he have to be _shirtless_!?

“ _Zell_ ,” she snapped, making him wince, “ _Squall_ and I would sooner get married and have five kids than I would ever touch Seifer with a ten foot pole. I--” _hate him_ , she wanted to say, but decided to hold her tongue, not feeling like pouring her heart out to Zell, of all people. “He’s horrible,” she settled on instead. “And he probably won’t be able to show his face in public after all this blows over anyway.”

“I get it, I get it. I’m sorry, alright? I wasn’t thinkin’.” Zell scratched the side of his face sheepishly.

“Yes, you _weren’t_ thinking,” Quistis said bitingly. “As usual.”

She was feeling bitter resentment towards Zell for making her mood plummet even further than before. So she fumed silently, hoping the silent treatment would encourage him to leave her table. Instead, to her annoyance, he just sat there and yawned loudly. Afterwards, he seemed to think for a second before his eyes, glinting playfully, met hers bravely.

“Five kids with Squall, eh?” he said grinning at her. Then, seeing the look on her face, he quickly got up from his chair, chuckling to himself. “ _Okay_ , okay, I’ll leave before you pull out the whip. I’ll see you later, okay?”

Zell left Quistis with her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed in annoyance as she stared in the direction of the library's exit. Somehow her loneliness felt even more pronounced than before. Truthfully, she didn't talk to Zell much, but whenever they did stop to chat their interactions were comically awkward. There wasn't much she knew about him beyond his distaste for Seifer and his undying love for Balamb Garden's hot dogs. She had a suspicion there wasn't much more to him than that, anyway. In her mind, he was like a big kid. For example, he had a tendency to talk a little too loudly. He was a tad too emotional and would speak before thinking as evidenced in the incident at Timber. He also had a knack for making her cross just by being his typical irritating self. It was actually a lot like how she treated--

Recognizing the path her mind was taking, Quistis stood up, feeling the need to brush herself off. She then quickly made her way out of the library, passing a couple that were sharing a kiss.

It was _definitely_ time to leave.

**A/N: Just wanted to hint at Zell/Quistis because I like that pairing a lot more than Seifer/Quistis. This is set after they get the ragnarok, in case it isn't clear.**


	4. Youth

“Have you ever been tickled, Squall?”

Squall and Rinoa sat opposite each other on their bed, the Commander’s back resting against the backboard. Squall frowned at Rinoa’s question. He also didn’t like the mischievous glint in her warm brown eyes. As though she were planning something. He pressed himself against the backboard protectively, fighting the instinctive urge to check his junctions.

“Nope. Never.” _And it’s going to stay that way_ , he thought to himself resolutely.

Rinoa was now scooting towards him, with one of her hands hovering dangerously by his side, a finger sticking out as though she were about to poke him.

“Do it and you’re dead meat.”

Rinoa lowered her hand and pouted. “You’re no fun. I just want to see what your laugh sounds like.”

“I don’t laugh.”

Rinoa just stared at him blankly. It made him begin to realize the absurdity of what he’d said.

Finally, Rinoa let loose a long-suffering sigh and shook her head. “You don’t have to be a scrooge all the time, you know.”

He knew Rinoa was just kidding around, but that word— _scrooge_ _—_ hit a tender nerve. Zell had called him that once before as well and it didn’t sit well with him.

“I’m not a _scrooge_ ,” he muttered sourly, crossing his arms. “I just don’t like to laugh.” He tensed at the look on Rinoa’s face. “What?”

Without warning, Rinoa began tickling Squall’s sides, making him laugh as he tried to dodge her attacks. He was unable to, however, as he was quickly rendered immobile from his hysterical laughing fit. Rinoa, laughing as well, intensified her assault, intent on extracting more than simple giggles from the stoic Commander. She trailed her fingers over his sides and onto his stomach.

Squall was desperate to breathe—and even more desperate to get away from her torturous fingers. In his haste, he kneed her in the face.

Rinoa tumbled backwards and slipped off the edge of the bed. She rose back up rubbing her chin and realigning her jaw.

“I didn’t break your jaw, did I?” Squall scrambled forward on the mattress and cursed himself for using brute force on his girlfriend. She’d just been having some fun with him, after all.

“Nope. I’m good.”

Squall released a shuddering sigh of relief. _Thank Hyne…_

“I didn’t know you were that sensitive, though. I thought I was gonna give you a heart attack for a second there.” Rinoa smiled at him warmly.

Squall felt heat rush to his face. “I’m not sensitive. I just—it’s just never happened to me before. That’s all.”

Rinoa crawled back onto the bed and pulled him into a hug. “I’m just glad I got to hear your _adorable_ laugh. You should laugh more often, Squall. It sounds so cute. Like a happy kid.”

Mortified at the comparison, Squall wished he could pound himself for not speeding out the door the second she’d introduced the topic of tickling. “I don’t want a cute laugh,” he mumbled.

“Okay. It’s deep and gruff and oh-so-masculine. Is that better?”

“...a little.”


	5. The Past

Laguna stood in front of the tombstone on legs that felt like jelly. He didn’t dare focus on the engravings, knowing what he’d read would only twist the knife in his heart. It would make the horror of the situation all too real.

He’d come much too late. And those two words hurt more than anything. _Too late._ Like if he had stopped what he’d been doing, had decided that there was something—no, _someone_ \-- more important, then he might possibly have been able to prevent this from happening. Perhaps his presence alone would have been a beacon of hope for her, one that would have lured her from the brink of eternal sleep.

Laguna crumpled to the ground, his wobbly legs finally giving out on him. Hung his head in defeat. He looked down at the hands that sat on his lap, and felt almost shy sitting in front of this grave. Like he was being criticized for it. Maybe it was just _him_ who was doing the criticizing, though. He couldn’t help but feel like he’d foolishly let her slip out of his grasp, like a precious key falling out of his unreliable pocket.

Maybe it had to happen. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe he shouldn’t be so hard on himself.

But as he sat there numbly, not even sobbing raggedly as he felt he should, he couldn’t help but wonder why he had such rotten luck.


	6. Horizon

Space was so vast and endless. Reminiscent of a black hole. Rinoa’s thoughts wandered as she floated, the only sign of life she noticed was the fog on the inside of her helmet, the product of her own erratic breathing. She was alarmed by how cold she felt, and the prickly sensation riding up her arms and legs.

She was alone.

More than alone, she was alone in _space_. Floating and spinning around dazedly as she waited for some sign that rescue was on the way. She hadn’t been paying attention, but she could have sworn she’d heard her suit’s alarm system alert her that life support was soon going to shut off. A part of her was trying to tune that terrifying message out, trying to convince herself that it wasn’t really true. She couldn’t just go out like that. Not so... _easily_.

She could see the Lunar Base out in the distance, but it had been shrinking in size. It made her delirious with fear. What was going to happen? Was she going to suffocate in her suit? Would her corpse float around forever?

Would she never see Squall again?

Even in pitch blackness, she could see those eyes glittering with concern; it made her quiver with desire. Her mind had tossed up many ideas earlier. One of them being that Squall might do something, that he’d find someone to come after her if he had to. He was so courageous and relentless in his pursuit of righteousness that she felt he wouldn’t let her down. Not when she was in such a state of terror-stricken paralysis. But at the same time, the pessimist in her told her it was Squall after all. Ever-so-reliably unshakable Squall.

Rinoa heard the suit’s alarm system crackle again. The life support system had been terminated.

She wanted to continue believing this wasn’t real, but her situation was rapidly approaching the stage in which she should start panicking. How much time did she have before she’d start gasping for breath inside her suit? A part of her was already growing numb to the prospect of her impending demise. She could already see her friends gathered around her casket, heads lowered in respect. Squall would probably be itching to leave the funeral. He’d find it unbearable to listen to people listing her admirable qualities and accomplishments when she wasn’t even around to hear it.

She had never suffocated before, so she had no idea what it felt like. She wished she didn’t feel so afraid of it happening...of the pain she’d inevitably feel as her body fought against the oxygen deprivation. Would her lungs collapse? Would she _feel_ them rupture? What did that feel like anyway?

Did it...hurt?

She avoided pain; that was one of the reasons she had chosen her blaster’s edge. It felt safe and she could use it from a distance. Angelo made up most of her arsenal, and she relied on her to do the fighting for her when she was incapacitated. It was ridiculous that someone who fought on the battlefield feared scrapes and broken bones, but she supposed it had something to do with her not having a mercenary background like the others. Or maybe she was just a scaredy-cat. On that note, she still felt like she didn’t quite fit in with them. Like she was the outcast. A weak, little princess who could only be counted on to put her miserable life in jeopardy. Anything she did she was doomed to fail at, with the others sweeping in to put an end to her plight. She hated herself. She wished she’d never been born. It would have been better than dying right when she was supposed to save their damn monster-ridden world.

Wait.

Rinoa stopped, stared. In the distance she could swear she saw something. Small, but definitely something. And it was near the base.

Was it...?

No. It couldn’t be.

A space suit?

They were far away, but it seemed the distance was gradually closing between them. There was no way of knowing who it was that was in it and yet—the familiar twinge in her chest revealed the truth.

“Squall…?”

If she had the energy, she would have started sobbing like a child. It wasn’t just that he’d come after her; it was also that she’d realized the depth of her feelings for him. The thought of him risking his life for her would have seemed laughable just a minute ago, but it was now a stark reality. It was a beautiful moment—one that could have been accompanied by a tender love ballad.

Floating in the vast coldness of space, even with atmosphere suits separating them, Rinoa didn’t need to feel the warmth of his embrace.

She already felt as though she’d been saved.


	7. Boy talk

“You know, if you ever need girl advice, I’m all ears.”

“Sure.”

“You say that like you don’t mean it.”

“Very intuitive.”

“You see? That’s your problem right there. You need an attitude adjustment. Here, let me give you some pointers. I bet Rinoa’s exhausted from doing all the work for you.”

“Irvine, I don’t have time for—”

“Let me see you smile. Just a little one. Please? Pretend I’m Rinoa.”

“No.”

“Okay, fine. No smile then. You could always try showing some skin.”

“I don’t want that sort of attention…”

“No, man, you’re missing the point. Girls love muscular men. Just try wearing a shirt that fits a bit tightly when you’re around her and watch her drool over you.”

“I have no intention of being a sex symbol.”

“You’re so dense, I swear to Hyne. Alright, forget the tight shirt. I’ve got it! You could compliment her. Ask her what shampoo she uses or something.”

“Why the hell would I ask anyone something so inane?”

“So she can see you _care_ , Squall. You want to know something about her. Even if it’s a little strange, girls like that. Plus it’ll lead to you two canoodling.”

“I don’t…canoodle.”

“Don’t you want to kiss Rinoa? Maybe do a little more than that, if you catch my drift?”

“It’s none of your--”

“Business. Yeah, I get that. But I can’t help but worry about you, man. You’re letting smoking hot women pass you by like you’ve been castrated.”

“I don’t need a relationship right now.”

“Believe me, Commander. You do. Stop staring daggers at me, you know I’m right. Oh. I know. Ask her for a hug.”

“No!”

“Tell her you feel lonely. Maybe even start talking about how much it sucks being an orphan. That’ll make her feel bad and wanna cheer you up.”

“Irvine.”

“I recommend putting on the waterworks. Girls love sensitive guys. It triggers their nurturing side and makes ‘em wanna protect you. Tell her you don’t let just anyone see you like this. That you trust her with this side of you.”

“ _Irvine_.”

“Maybe go a little crazy and give her a peck on the cheek afterward. I bet she’d like that. If you wanna go the whole mile, try and lay one on her lips. But make sure your lips aren’t wet, in case you tend to salivate when nervous. Some girls get weirded out by that.”

“ _Irvine_ …”

“I told you I’m an expert on girls. If you listen to me, you’ll never lose. Oh, and if you ever need protection, don’t be afraid to—”

“ _Irvine_!”

“What?”

“Please stop. _Please_.”

“...Okay.”

**A/N: I want to do a Selphie chapter, but I have no idea what to write about with her character. :(**


	8. Bombshell

“So what do you think?”

Selphie peered hopefully at her friends, sitting in a circle around her. She watched as they shared uncomfortable glances and avoided looking at her. She self-consciously combed her hands through her hair, as though that might improve its appearance.

“ _Well_?”

Zell had his head tilted with his eyes squinting as though he were trying to decipher what it was he was looking at. Quistis and Rinoa were sharing a regretful look as though they had known this would happen. Squall stared at her as though she’d spontaneously combusted before his eyes. Anxiety heightening at their less-than-stellar response, Selphie began to panic.

“Holy freakin’ Hyne...It’s ugly as heck, isn’t it?”

Rinoa was the first to speak, a nervous smile on her face. “It’s...different.”

A surge of despair made Selphie drop her face into her hands. “I can’t believe I trusted that girl. I should’ve known just from looking at her that she was gonna hack my self-esteem to pieces.”

“Don’t be sad, Selphie,” said Quistis. “Hair grows back. Besides, maybe you can style it so it doesn’t look so...military-like.”

“I just wanted to try something _new_ ,” Selphie whined. “Something edgy, you know? And pixie cuts can be really cute if they’re done right.”

“You really thought an undercut was a good idea?” Zell seemed like he was on the verge of laughter.

“It looked good in the picture!” Selphie snapped, feeling defensive. She was also growing horrified at the realization that she’d somehow broken Squall. The Commander still hadn’t said a single word. Just…kept staring. Then, gathering some resolve, she brightened up. “You know what? I’m just gonna shave it. At least then it’ll grow back normally. Okay, where’s the ra—”

The door flew open with such a clatter, everyone turned to see who it was.

“Hey, have you guys seen Sefie? I’ve been looking all over for—”

A hush fell upon the room as Irvine stared slack-jawed at Selphie. She tried desperately to cover her hair with her hands.

“Sweet Hyne... _Sefie_? Is that you?”

Selphie lowered her hands and hung her head as she succumbed to her fate. She knew how much Irvine loved her old hairdo, so she’d kept her haircut a secret from him. As far as she thought, her boyfriend was going to feel like he was making love to a man for the next few months. If he even deigned to touch her, looking as unattractive as she did.

“If you wanna break up with me, be my guest. I’d leave me too if I were you.”

Finally recovering from his shock, Irvine strode over to her and placed a hand on her chin, raising her head gently. She could feel him studying her. Hesitantly making eye contact with him, she saw he was smiling much too kindly given the tragedy that had befallen everyone in the room.

“What are you talking about, Sefie? I think it looks great!”

Selphie’s jaw dropped. “You _what_?”

“I love it! Short hair really suits you.” Irvine leaned in to give her a peck on the nose.

Selphie squinted at him in disbelief as she pushed him away. “...You’re kidding.”

“Nope. I like it.” Irvine’s smile broadened.

With a groan, she pointed dramatically at her hair, as though that might help him to acknowledge its grisly demise. “Are you _blind_? I look like Seifer in a dress!”

Irvine laughed out loud. “Sweetheart, if Seifer looked like you, I might actually consider switching sides. You look cute as hell.”

Selphie looked at him oddly. "...Cute? Really?"

She couldn’t believe he wasn’t seeing what she and her friends saw. Although she couldn’t deny that it was a little refreshing to hear after her friends’ unfavorable response. Irvine was always so supportive of her and now she was wondering how she could have doubted him. She’d expected him to react superficially, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. She wondered if maybe she should take another look in the mirror because he sure was starting to convince her that maybe she should reconsider reaching for a razor.

Forgetting that her friends were still there watching them, Selphie felt overwhelmed with love for her boyfriend. Poking him playfully, she smiled.

“You’re so sweet, Irvy.”


	9. Okay

Laguna watched Julia tilt her head as she studied him. “There’s something about you that’s so different. You’re not like other men. _Or_ like other soldiers.”

“It’s probably the hair,” Laguna joked, chuckling. They were sitting side by side on a bed in her hotel room suite. The room was dimly lit, helping to create an intimate atmosphere. They had been talking for about an hour, the two of them growing more comfortable in each other’s presence.

“I _definitely_ noticed your hair. It really suits you.”

He’d heard it before, but there was something almost ethereal about the compliment being uttered from her lips. As though she’d given him the stamp of approval he hadn’t known he needed. Instinct made him want to joke and make light of her kindness. Instead, he could only stare blankly at her, rendered speechless by it. When he was finally able to speak, he said the first thing that popped into his head.

“You wanna touch it?”

Julia looked surprised by the offer, but she slowly acquiesced as she reached to place a hand in his hair. Laguna sat as still as he could as she tentatively stroked it. He felt an insane urge to laugh because it made him feel like a pet. He also couldn’t help but feel so relaxed for once, even with the close proximity of their bodies. His eyes softened as he watched her smirk with amusement. He never could have known how much he liked being toyed with until that moment.

“It’s so soft. Just like you,” she said with a teasing smile as she let go of his hair and leaned back.

“Soft? Ha! I’m a soldier. I eat the soft.” Laguna tried to sound tough, but his false bravado only elicited giggles from Julia. Maybe it wasn’t the most convincing claim given what she’d witnessed earlier. He scratched his head in embarrassment as he wished he could erase that memory so he could feel just a little bit cooler.

But he knew, deep down, she’d always see him as ‘soft’. And…he was surprisingly okay with it.

**A/N: I never see anything expanding on the Laguna/Julia scene in the game, so I thought I'd write something cute between them.**


	10. Different

Squall sat in his seat, occasionally scooping popcorn into his mouth. He and Zell had gone to Balamb Town to see a movie together. Not that Squall had been itching to go, exactly-- it was Zell who had pestered him for the past week about how they should check out the newly built cinema. Squall, who wasn’t much of a movie-goer, had finally relented, feeling like he couldn’t take seeing his friend so dejected because of his repeated dismissals.

To his disappointment, neither of the action movies playing, one of them being a remake of The Sorceress’s Knight, had tickets available. In fact, all of the movies he would have even considered were sold out. This left them with only one option—a cartoon about a princess. It wasn’t as though Squall was against childish movies, but the thought of watching one with Zell felt a tad uncomfortable. Zell himself didn’t appear to be ecstatic about the option either, but he ended up shrugging it off and saying it could be good.

Now, as he sat in the auditorium with Zell, he had to admit his friend had turned out to be right. The movie wasn’t bad. Although it was your typical family-oriented tale about falling in love, it was well-made and had a good plot. While it did maintain Squall’s attention, he felt that Zell was much more absorbed by it. Normally, Zell couldn’t sit still if his life depended on it, but he didn’t get up once.

When the film finally ended, Squall was distracted by some movement to his right. Curious as to what Zell was doing, he looked and saw that he was fiercely wiping at his eyes. At first, he assumed that the brightness of the screen was becoming too much for him. But he soon realized, to his astonishment, that his friend was _crying_.

Not knowing what to do, Squall just stayed silent. He secretly hoped Zell would stop, or at least get up and go to the bathroom, but neither of those things happened. Instead he just sat there sniffling, even wiping his face with his shirt at one point. His reduction to tears continued until long after the credits had ended.

After the other moviegoers had left, Squall was left with Zell, who was now hunched over in his seat with his face in his hands. He could hear his friend occasionally stifling sobs. When Zell did speak, his voice was raspy and lacking its usual vigor.

“I am _so_ sorry, Squall. I don’t know what’s goin’ on. I just can’t stop.”

Squall couldn’t deny that things had definitely become awkward. And Squall wasn’t exactly the go-to person when it came to consolation, so he felt like he was the wrong person to be put in this position. He did still try his best to act as though what he was witnessing wasn’t staggeringly unusual.

“It’s…alright Zell. It’s only the two of us.” His voice sounded foreign in his ears. Soothing someone was definitely not his forte.

“Thank Hyne for that…” Zell muttered. “I feel like I’ve lost my mind.”

Squall couldn’t help but wonder what it was exactly that had triggered this response. The movie hadn’t been especially sad, so it was a bit odd to him. Sure, Zell was the emotional type, but breaking down sobbing over a children’s cartoon was a bit of a stretch, even for him.

He sat with Zell a little while longer, waiting as patiently as he could for him to stabilize his emotions. Once it seemed like Zell had somewhat regained his composure, Squall suggested they exit the building directly from the auditorium, instead of through the lobby. He figured there wouldn’t be as many people to see Zell’s tear streaked face that way. As they left the cinema they walked along as stealthily as possible. But just as they entered the parking lot, a familiar voice stopped them in their tracks.

_“Well, well. Small world, isn’t it?”_

Squall turned to see Seifer, Fujin, and Rajin standing in front of them.

“Looks like you two are buddy-buddy now. Guess saving the world can bring even Squall and Zell together. How sweet.”

Squall stood stiffly, hoping that Seifer would get bored and quickly take his leave. Zell was rooted to the spot with his back towards the trio. He could practically feel Zell dripping with trepidation beside him. All the time he had spent with the martial artist had greatly improved his perception of his emotions.

“We came to watch that new remake of The Sorceress’s Knight,” Seifer continued, “but the only movie that _wasn’t_ sold out was some chick flick. Although that’s probably right up your alley, eh Chicken Wuss?”

There was an awkward moment where Seifer was clearly waiting for Zell to retort, but he was instead met with silence.

“What’s with you? Got nothing to say?” Seifer gaped at them both. “That _is_ Zell, right?”

Recognizing that this was probably a good time for them to leave, Squall took action.

“He’s sick. Ate something bad. We’re heading back to Garden so he can see Kadowaki.”

“Sick? Well, that figures.” Seifer smirked. ‘C’mon Fu, Raj. Let’s leave Nursemaid Leonhart with his patient.”

After Seifer and his friends left, Squall and Zell walked the rest of the distance towards their car. Once inside, Zell hastily reached for some tissues and noisily blew his nose. He then wiped tears from his eyes and turned to Squall with a sniff and a weak smile.

“Thanks, Squall. For...you know. I know you won’t, but please swear to me you won’t tell anyone about this. Just promise me.”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“I can’t _believe_ I broke down like that. I don’t know what the hell came over me. And then Seifer? It felt just like when we were kids.”

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens. You’re probably just…stressed.”

“But it is embarrassing,” Zell whined. “Hyne...I bet I’m the only _in_ there who cried.”

“Everyone cries at strange things, Zell. I cried when I found out about Laguna being my father.” The words tumbled out of Squall’s mouth before he could stop them. 

"You…you did?” Zell stared at him, mouth agape.

Squall immediately furrowed his brow and looked away. _Great. Just great._

His admission seemed to stun Zell into silence. Although Squall was thankful to have clearly provided Zell with the comfort that was necessary and had seemed to stop his friend’s waterworks, he couldn’t help but also feel embarrassed for it. He never talked about such personal things with Zell—or anyone. Ever.

With a sigh, Squall started the car, and they began driving out of Balamb Town and back to Garden. Eventually, Zell was himself again, talking animatedly about lighter topics with Squall listening and responding in turn.

Squall would never admit it to anyone—hell, he was having a hard time admitting it to _himself_ —but deep down, he felt honored. Honored that Zell had shown him a vulnerable side of himself. Honored to know that Zell trusted him. Perhaps the rowdy fighter was a closer friend than he had realized. Because he sure wouldn’t have spilled his own emotional secret to just anyone.

It was something he figured he could get used to. Over time.


	11. Novice

“Squall, you’ve never done it before. I’m sure it happens to a lot of people.”

Squall and Rinoa sat across from each other on his bed, some guitar music playing in the background of his dorm room. The music was soothing...or at least it would have been if Squall was _capable_ of being soothed.

“It’s been _ten minutes_ Rinoa. You keep looking at me like you’ve been violated.” Squall ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“Okay. Look. You’re doing it a little too... _excitedly_ is all.” Rinoa sighed. “I keep telling you to just flick your tongue gently against mine. Gently and slowly. It’s easy, Squall. You’re making yourself nervous over nothing.” She shifted towards him, placing a hand on his cheek, stroking it lovingly. She peered into his doubting eyes in an attempt to reassure him. “Take a deep breath. It’s just me. Nothing to feel jittery about, alright? Focus on your breathing, listen to the music. And _relax_.”

Squall nodded to himself, tried to feel invigorated by her words. He willed his racing brain to just stop. Tried to force himself not to think about how she had experience—with that asshole Seifer, no less—and _he_ was, well, a novice. And he hated being a novice. At anything.

“Right. It’s just you. Just Rinoa.”

He shut his eyes, inhaled deeply and then exhaled a shuddering breath. As he sat still, he thought about how much he wanted to make her happy. He wanted to show her that he could be sexy, like she was. Sure, he might not be the most experienced guy on the planet, but he felt that he had something to offer her if allowed himself the chance. He tried to appreciate the guitar music, to let it seep into his bones and alleviate his taut nerves. He opened his eyes and saw Rinoa smiling at him encouragingly. He smiled back, feeling a little more optimistic.

Picking up on Rinoa’s cue that it was time to try again, Squall felt eagerness spread within him. No matter how many times their lips connected, it never lost its initial magic. He really did love kissing her. And how could he not? After all, he’d waited all his life for this miracle to happen.

Squall and Rinoa leaned towards one another, the two of them shutting their eyes. They kissed again, their tongues intertwining. The tension in Squall’s muscles loosened as he tried his best to mimic Rinoa’s actions. He flicked his tongue against hers, wanting to please her by teasing it slowly as she’d described. Feeling like he did better this time, he leaned back and looked at Rinoa hopefully.

“You keep jabbing at my tongue, Squall.”

Rinoa’s words hit him like a bullet to the heart. Squall placed a hand to his forehead as he shook his head in dazed disbelief. “Sweet Hyne, I can’t believe this is happening. I finally get my first kiss and it’s a total disaster.”

“It’s not _that_ bad…”

Squall shot her a knowing look that made her chuckle.

“Okay. Scratch that. It is pretty bad.”

“It’s. So. _Simple_ ,” Squall stressed each syllable by pounding his fist against his thigh. “You just touch your tongues together. Even a monkey could probably do that. But _I_ can’t. And if I’m this horrible at kissing, I don’t even wanna know what’s gonna happen when we—” Squall stopped, realizing what he was about to say. Seeing the intrigued look on Rinoa’s face, he flushed deeply. “Ah...”

Rinoa smiled at him, amused. Batted her eyelashes. “When we what?”

“This is a nightmare,” Squall moaned, dropping his hot face into his hands. At least that way, she might not notice he was blushing. Although it didn’t even matter much. He’d pretty much revealed to her that he’d thought about them having sex. He just couldn’t get over the horror of leaving such an awful impression on Rinoa. “What’s _wrong_ with me?”

There was a brief silence as Squall sat in front of Rinoa, unable to show his face to her. When Rinoa did speak, there was a tinge of wry amusement in her voice. “Well, maybe making out just isn’t your thing. We could always stick to having sword fights in each other’s mouth instead.”

Squall groaned. “That’s _not_ funny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is based on my personal experiences with french kissing. My first time, I was so nervous my boyfriend played music on his guitar to try to calm me down lol. 
> 
> Bebedora has been my beta for almost all these chapters, so if you like any of them it's thanks to her help. This particular story was also originally supposed to be between Laguna and Raine, but she informed me that it would be really unbelievable if a 27 year old Laguna had not had a french kiss yet (lol). So she suggested I go with Squall and Rinoa instead.


	12. Maybe

Quistis had begun to look at Zell.

Really _see_ him for the first time. Catch subtleties she’d overlooked before. Like the way one side of his lip quirked upward when he found something amusing. Or the way he’d cover his mouth when he laughed. Something she only ever saw _him_ do. Or even how overly aware of the contact _she_ was whenever he’d nudge her playfully. Tell her he was just joking.

The way he expressed emotion was almost enthralling at times. It was like he felt more than others. So much so that everyone else in the room would look stiff and dead in comparison. A part of her did find his excitability childish sometimes, to the point of it being embarrassing. It was hard to resist scolding him for his behavior and ordering him to calm down, as well. But there was another part of her, her more sensitive side, that actually kind of liked it. Was even _charmed_ by it.

There was something about the way he looked when he was concerned. It wasn’t as simple as a contortion of the face to mimic the emotion. She had the impression there wasn’t a person out there who could care more for her well-being when he looked at her like that. Even if he probably looked at _everyone_ like that. It should have been as comforting as a warm blanket draped over her soul. Instead, it only left her ill at ease.

The mental image Quistis had carved of him was gradually shifting into one that was entirely different. One with layers and depth and complexity.

Then there was _the compliment_. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He’d said similar things to her before, in fact. But this time, when he offhandedly stated that her hair looked nice, the words floated around her mind for the remainder of the day like a massive banner. They instilled a vibrancy within her that made everything else seem so drab by comparison.

To make matters even worse, Quistis had begun to fumble when speaking to Zell. Stumbling over her words as though she’d forgotten how to enunciate properly. Actually even _stuttering_ on occasion.

Had it been anyone else behaving so oddly, it probably wouldn’t have been cause for alarm. But, because it was her, prim and proper Quistis, even Zell was able to pick up on the peculiarity of it. He’d looked at her funny at one point...asked her if she was okay. His confusion managed to snap her out of her thoughts and she reverted to her composed self. But it was still a memory to cringe at when reflected upon. She was at least grateful that _Zell_ wasn’t a bundle of nerves around _her_ , which would only escalate the tension that had suddenly developed between them. Although it was mostly one-sided tension, but still.

Was all of this really over Zell, of all people? Somehow, she hadn’t felt anywhere near this conflicted when she had first gravitated towards Squall. Was there something about Zell in particular that was leaving her so rattled?

It wasn’t like he was attainable anyway. He was interested in a librarian, after all. And Quistis wasn’t the type to meddle in someone’s love affairs. Not that they would ever actually date, of course. Although they were good friends, they meshed together about as well as cactuars and Trabia. So all of this turmoil she was enduring was meaningless anyway.

This was all so confounding it made Quistis dizzy. How long would it take for her jitters to go away and for her to see Zell as just her friend again? Not too long, she hoped. She wasn’t sure how much more of this internal battling she could take. She especially didn’t want Zell to _suspect_ she had a crush on him. That would just be awkward.

No, she had to keep her feelings to herself. Especially since they weren’t anything serious. She didn’t _really_ like Zell like that. Hell, more often than not, she found his personality grating. You don’t just go from grinding your teeth at the sound of someone’s voice to wondering what it would be like to hold them in your arms.

You just don’t.

And yet she couldn’t help but wonder...what _would_ it be like if they closed the distance between each other one day? With him reaching forward and tangling his hand in her hair, eyes burning with desire. And her _letting_ him, as she finally gave in to the pressure.

Would it feel good?

...Could it happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is an unpopular pairing, especially compared to Seifer/Quistis, but I like it. Besides, you barely know anything about the library girl and I hate writing characters like that lol. Quistis is obviously more interesting, so...


	13. Relating

“Squall’s so lucky.”

Rinoa gazed wistfully at Selphie, chin resting against her palm. They sat across from each other at the café, with two iced lattes between them.

“What do you mean?” Selphie stopped mid-sip, the straw still hovering between her lips. She was obviously caught off guard by Rinoa’s seemingly random remark.

Rinoa smiled softly as she let her gaze drift longingly around the room, watching a man a few tables down spoon feed some soup to his toddler. “I mean, he’s lucky to have a dad like Laguna. Don’t you think?”

“You already know what I think, Rin,” Selphie said smirking. “Sir Laguna _is_ the best. But is there a reason why you think so?”

Rinoa tore her eyes away from the little family and looked at Selphie. “I know it’s childish to feel this way, but whenever I think about how Squall and Laguna are getting closer...it kinda makes me wish I could have that, you know?”

“That’s not childish. That’s just human nature.”

Rinoa felt mildly surprised by the wisdom of Selphie’s words. “Really?”

“You just gotta make the first move. ‘Cause you know your dad sure won’t. Then take baby steps. It doesn’t happen all at once.”

“But I don’t know if I even want that with _him_ …” Rinoa sighed. “I feel like I just don’t like my dad as a person, Selphie. He’s very controlling and...compared to Laguna...he’s mean.”

“Everyone’s mean compared to Laguna.” Selphie’s eyes softened. “Your dad still loves you, though. It’s might be tough love, but it’s still love.”

“That’s what everyone says,” Rinoa grumbled. “I’d rather have a different version of love where I don’t end up feeling like I hate the person. You know he called the police on me once, just because we had an argument? Just so he could end up winning it. The cops came and sided with him, telling me I had no choice but to obey my father until I moved out. Can you believe that? And I know it sounds horrible...but sometimes, I wish my mom was the one who was still alive.”

“I don’t wanna sound like I’m arguing with you, but Squall _did_ have to give up his Ifrit card, just so your dad would even play his card with your face on it. He seemed to really treasure it.”

“Just him being possessive, most likely,” Rinoa huffed.

“ _Although_...Squall _would_ probably trade dads with you in a heartbeat, if he could. He used to be practically afraid of Laguna, remember?”

“Yeah...of course I remember. I’d get so mad at him for being so rude. But Squall’s a dummy. He doesn’t know what he’s got.” Rinoa furrowed her brows in irritation and shook her head. She wished Squall wouldn’t be so dense sometimes.

“I could say the same about you.”

Rinoa frowned as she looked down at the table, absentmindedly picking at a chip on the lip of a plate, her cinnamon roll long-gone. “I wish you would just agree with me that my dad sucks,” she mumbled.

“If I did, I wouldn’t be such an awesome friend.” Selphie paused. “But, about your mom, do you remember anything about her? What was she like?”

“I don’t remember anything,” Rinoa said, looking up at her. “I was too young. But my dad used to talk about her a lot. He’d say she was a really good person. Kind and sympathetic. He did really love her. It’s weird, though, that none of her kindness seemed to rub off on him,” she finished bitterly.

“People don’t change just like that. I mean, look at Squall. He’s made friends and saved the world, but he’s still shy as heck.”

“I actually like Squall the way he is, though. I think he’s adorable. Like a fluffy moogle.” Rinoa smiled at the thought of her boyfriend. She loved talking about him any chance she got. And it was especially welcome in their current conversation. “You should hear him laugh, Selphie. I mean, _really_ laugh. When it happens it’s like you just died and went to heaven. It’s amazing.”

“Do you ever listen to your mom’s music?” Selphie asked, changing the subject.

Rinoa sat in silence for a moment. “I’ve listened to it. I mean, everyone’s heard Eyes on Me.” The song never really held much relevance in her life until she’d fallen in love with Squall. Now whenever the melody played in her head, her heart would swell with bittersweet tenderness. “I don’t actively look for her songs, though. Just feels a little weird, I guess.”

“Speaking of Eyes on Me, she _did_ have a thing for Laguna,” Selphie chirped. “What’s even crazier is Laguna actually _could_ have been your dad. Can you believe it?”

“Yeah, but if that had happened, then…” Rinoa’s voice trailed off as she realized what she’d been about to say. _If that had happened, then she and Squall would never have met and fallen in love._ In fact, they could have ended up as brother and sister. She swallowed hard at the disturbing thought, suddenly feeling conflicted. She couldn’t believe she’d never really thought about this before now. She hated that the universe seemed to be punishing her for complaining about her dad by dropping this bombshell on her.

Selphie smiled at her knowingly, not saying anything.

“Anyway,” Rinoa began, feeling slightly embarrassed, “my mom’s death kind of was the nail in the coffin of our relationship. After that, my dad put all of his focus on keeping me from living my life and being happy. Just because he wasn’t.”

A group of teenagers burst into raucous laughter a few tables down, catching their attention for a moment. Rinoa suddenly noticed how noisy the cafe had gotten as it had filled with people while they were engrossed in their conversation. She turned back to Selphie and took another sip of her latte. After setting it down, her mind drifted back to Laguna and how elated he was whenever he saw her.

“Laguna really _is_ sweet, though…” she murmured.

“Yeah…” Selphie sighed dreamily. “He is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked writing this conversation as it was something I could relate to. I also could easily see Rinoa and Selphie as being comfortable talking about things like this together. I hope I didn't make Caraway seem too mean with the thing about him calling the police on Rinoa, as it was kind of based on a personal experience. But I felt like, considering he's controlling, I could see it happen.


	14. Internal Bleeding

Seifer knelt, his breath coming in spurts. Clutching his chest, blood dripping from his lips. He shakily raised his head to see Squall standing before him, eyes coolly surveying his battered form. Unresponsive and unwavering as always. It was almost more infuriating than it would have been had he pointed at Seifer and laughed mockingly.

Seifer hated to lose.

He especially hated to lose to _Squall_.

Losing bruised his ego more than anything else. It was one of the reasons why he tended to pick on people. He liked being the one to unveil a person’s insecurities and then gift them with the horror of ridicule for it. And sometimes, it _was_ irresistible to rile up his victim, especially when it was that Chicken-Wuss. Although somehow, that nickname didn’t have quite the same ring to it right now. Not with the little bastard standing there, _staring_ at him with what looked like...pity?

Not only was Seifer on the other side of glory— _again_ —but he felt like he’d been spit on by the universe as well. And that made him groan as he doubled up from a much different kind of pain.

Seifer had never felt so lost. Unwanted. Unliked. Not so different from the little lost boy Edea had accused him of being when he’d first switched sides. It felt like a lifetime had passed since then.

Seifer coughed, blood spattering on the floor. _Shit_ , he thought.

Losing really hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seifer was difficult for me to write, but hopefully it turned out believable. Next chapter will be with Squall and Zell.


	15. Just This Once

“Come on, Squall. It’s not like we’re bein’ recorded.”

Squall sat on his bed in his dorm room with Zell standing in front of him. He wished his friend would sit back down because he was making him anxious. Then again, he _did_ often feel anxious when he was around Zell.

“Zell, I am _not_ letting you carry me on your back. We both know you can do it anyway.”

“But it’ll be fun, Squall. You know _fun_ , right? Things that normal people do?”

“I see it as more along the lines of something you should do to ensure your comrades don’t, you know, die. Not something you do just for the hell of it.”

Zell sighed. “Squall, you’re makin’ a big deal outta nothing. I promise I’m not gonna Meteor Strike you.”

Squall could feel himself growing more uneasy with each passing second. “Do you really need to do this? It’s getting weird. It’s not like we’re in the training center, or anything.” He felt like he was on the verge of saying something that would hurt Zell’s feelings. He didn’t understand why his friend was so adamant about having him submit to this degradation. Although he couldn’t help but wonder why exactly he _was_ so averse to something that people did for fun. Something he did with Rinoa, even. Then again, that circumstance wasn’t so much fun as it was necessary.

Zell, ever the stubborn friend that he was, refused to back down. “It’s only weird if you make it weird, weirdo. Now come on.” He turned around and bent over slightly, beckoning Squall to hop on his back. “Live a little, Squall.”

“ _Zell_ …”

His voice didn’t come out quite as threatening as he would have liked. And Zell didn’t respond for once in his life. Just...waited.

A ripple of fear passed through Squall. It was alarming how quickly the walls were closing in on him. Squall looked up at the ceiling as though to beg Hyne himself to save him from this ludicrous situation. But he knew, to his dismay, no one would come to his rescue. It seemed like he had no choice but to do it anyway, considering Zell was already in position and _waiting_ for him like a faithful steed.

Muttering curses, he resignedly inched forward, allowing himself to lean forward and rest against Zell’s back. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around his neck. Zell straightened, carrying Squall as though he were as light as a feather. He even jogged in place, bouncing Squall up and down.

“Wow, Squall. You’re actually kinda light! Geez, I bet Rinoa could carry you, too.”

“Zell, _calm down._ ” A part of him was panicking that Zell might get so excited he’d bolt out of his dorm room, the two of them in plain view of other students nearby.

“I _am_ calm,” Zell said as he began walking around the dormitory, clearly wanting to make the most of the opportunity. Squall couldn’t help but feel like his legs were a little too long for this. And, to his chagrin, Zell even joked at one point about no longer needing to bulk up at the gym. Squall could only curse inwardly at himself for submitting to Zell’s request without a fight till the death. He wondered if saving the world had made him soft...

But once he felt like it was drawing on a little too long, Squall decided it was time to put an end to it.

“Okay, you’ve had your fun at my expense. Now put me down.” His tone was sharper than he would have liked, but embarrassment was creeping its way in. Zell did as he said, and Squall stepped away from him to readjust his clothes.

“You sure you don’t wanna try to pick me up, too? You could call it ‘training’.” Zell paused, then chuckled.

Squall sat on his bed and sighed. “Zell, can we just do something else, please? I didn’t think we’d be riding each other when you asked to come over.”

There was an awkward moment as Squall’s words hung in the air.

Zell snickered behind his hand, making Squall realize what he’d said. He scowled as the thought of the two of them doing something markedly non-platonic together flashed across his mind. It was enough to make him grab a pillow and chuck it at Zell, who caught it with ease.

“I’m _this_ close to kicking you out of my room.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've found that I really like writing stories with Zell. He's just a fun character to write and have interact with other characters. Anyway, this idea seemed cute and funny to me so I couldn't resist writing it.


	16. Not The Same

It’s hard to admit that you’re wrong sometimes.

You have this dream, this desire to be more than you are, and it uplifts and rips into you at the same time, making you wish you just had the _opportunity_. And then it comes, and you can’t say no because you’d hate yourself for the rest of your life if you did.

I get it, Seifer.

You want to make something of yourself. It just wasn’t happening at Garden. Your destiny was to pursue your own stance on righteousness. In a way, you always were an oddball, even as part of the disciplinary committee. You’d abuse your power and pick on people who were half your size just because you _could_. I remember when you used to tease me about my overly concise manner of speech. It was so irritating that I almost erupted into a rant at one point. Almost.

So why do I now care about you as much as if you were my own flesh and blood?

When I first found out what you did to Squall at D-District, my stomach dropped with disdain for the man you were becoming. Someone with a lust for power rather than the romantic at heart I knew you as. It’s like you don’t realize how unstable you’ve become...a shadow of your former self. That trademark smirk holds a sinister quality to it now and it’s unsettling.

Don’t you see that now _you’re_ the one who’s being manipulated? Like an eager child who’s just dying to get his hands on a toy that’s always dangling just an inch out of reach? It’s almost sad to imagine you bent over, wheezing pathetically as you keep fighting a losing battle. Even as Squall gifts you with yet another scar to add to your collection, you keep staggering back to your feet, unable to let it go. Deliriously chanting to yourself, just one more battle, this time I won’t fail, I’ll never allow myself to live with the _humiliation_...

A sad fact of life is that the hardest thing to do is usually also the _right_ thing. I just hope you’ll see the light before it’s too late and you end up with more than just a gash to mar your face and a gunblade impaling your pride. Just come back to Garden with us, Seifer, and be what _I_ think your destiny is. To be the embodiment of true bravery.

The humble guy I know you are deep, deep down.


End file.
